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'The biography of the man who, for over twenty-five years, was arguably Australia's most significant public servant, serving every prime minister, Liberal and Labor, from Ben Chifley to Malcolm Fraser. Tange defined Australian foreign affairs and defence policy for over 25 years and this sheds new light on many of Australia's political crises including the downfall of John Gorton as PM, the fault line in Australian-US relationships during the Whitlam government and the deaths of the Balibo Five in East Timor. It also illuminates many of the triumphs and disasters of Australia's international relations, from the Bretton Woods conference and the Colombo Plan of the 1940s, through the ANZUS Treaty negotiations, the Petrov Affair and the Suez crisis in the 1950s, Australia's involvement in Indonesian confrontation and the Vietnam War in the 1960s, and the change from forward defence to the defence of Australia in the 1970s. By examining Tange's personal papers and Defence documents not released to the public at the time of writing, Peter Edwards reveals much that was hidden from view during political and diplomatic crises, including a nearly fatal rift in the alliance with the United States.'
Source: Publisher's blurb.
Publication Details of Only Known VersionEarliest 2 Known Versions of
Works about this Work
-
Man in Charge
2008
single work
review
— Appears in: Quadrant , April vol. 52 no. 4 2008; (p. 114-116)
— Review of Arthur Tange : Last of the Mandarins 2006 single work biography -
The Personal Factor
2006
single work
review
— Appears in: Australian Book Review , May no. 281 2006; (p. 18)
— Review of Arthur Tange : Last of the Mandarins 2006 single work biography -
Tyrant Among the Pen-Pushers
2006
single work
review
— Appears in: The Sydney Morning Herald , 18-19 March 2006; (p. 24)
— Review of Arthur Tange : Last of the Mandarins 2006 single work biography -
Distinctive Tange, the Last of Canberra's Mandarins
2006
single work
review
— Appears in: The Canberra Times , 25 February 2006; (p. 14-15)
— Review of Arthur Tange : Last of the Mandarins 2006 single work biography -
Conjuring Fascinating Stories : The Case of Sir Arthur Tange
2006
single work
criticism
— Appears in: Australian Political Lives : Chronicling Political Careers and Administrative Histories 2006; (p. 81-86)'Shortly after Frank Crowley, then lecturing in history at the University of Western Australia, started his biography of John Forrest, he confronted his second-year students with a question: ‘It is said that every historian should tackle a biography at some stage in his life. What do you think?’ As I recall, the second-year students sat there with their mouths opening and closing silently like dyspeptic goldfish. One of them, however, for some reason remembered that remark. Thirty years later I recalled it when I was trying to work out what my next project should be, having just worked on the official history of Australia’s involvement in Malaya, Borneo and Vietnam, as well as various other projects. I wanted to do something which built on that work but which was also different. I thought that tackling a biography would be of interest. It occurred to me that somebody really ought to do a biography of the public servant Arthur Tange, a person to whom many historians, myself included, had referred with a one-word summary, either ‘legendary’ or ‘formidable’.' (Introduction)
-
Distinctive Tange, the Last of Canberra's Mandarins
2006
single work
review
— Appears in: The Canberra Times , 25 February 2006; (p. 14-15)
— Review of Arthur Tange : Last of the Mandarins 2006 single work biography -
Tyrant Among the Pen-Pushers
2006
single work
review
— Appears in: The Sydney Morning Herald , 18-19 March 2006; (p. 24)
— Review of Arthur Tange : Last of the Mandarins 2006 single work biography -
The Personal Factor
2006
single work
review
— Appears in: Australian Book Review , May no. 281 2006; (p. 18)
— Review of Arthur Tange : Last of the Mandarins 2006 single work biography -
Man in Charge
2008
single work
review
— Appears in: Quadrant , April vol. 52 no. 4 2008; (p. 114-116)
— Review of Arthur Tange : Last of the Mandarins 2006 single work biography -
Conjuring Fascinating Stories : The Case of Sir Arthur Tange
2006
single work
criticism
— Appears in: Australian Political Lives : Chronicling Political Careers and Administrative Histories 2006; (p. 81-86)'Shortly after Frank Crowley, then lecturing in history at the University of Western Australia, started his biography of John Forrest, he confronted his second-year students with a question: ‘It is said that every historian should tackle a biography at some stage in his life. What do you think?’ As I recall, the second-year students sat there with their mouths opening and closing silently like dyspeptic goldfish. One of them, however, for some reason remembered that remark. Thirty years later I recalled it when I was trying to work out what my next project should be, having just worked on the official history of Australia’s involvement in Malaya, Borneo and Vietnam, as well as various other projects. I wanted to do something which built on that work but which was also different. I thought that tackling a biography would be of interest. It occurred to me that somebody really ought to do a biography of the public servant Arthur Tange, a person to whom many historians, myself included, had referred with a one-word summary, either ‘legendary’ or ‘formidable’.' (Introduction)
Awards
- 2007 shortlisted National Biography Award
- 2006 winner Queensland Premier's Literary Awards — Best History Book
- 2006 joint winner Western Australian Premier's Book Awards — Non-Fiction